The Papua New Guinea Civil and Identity Registry, the Australian Government and UNICEF have jointly launched a campaign to encourage parents and caregivers to register their children and secure a legal identity.
The campaign aims to increase public understanding of the rights and benefits of birth registration and make services easier for families to access.
Over the past two years, progress has been made in integrating birth registration into the health system by equipping health facilities with materials and capacity to register children and provide official proof of legal identity where mothers and newborns already receive health services.
Birth registration is the first step to legal recognition, helping establish a child’s identity and age and supporting access to health care, education, protection and other essential services.
“Children and young people are the future of Papua New Guinea, and every child should begin life with a legal identity,” said Acting Registrar-General Leslie Simon.
“A birth certificate is the gateway to being recognised by the State and accessing the services and opportunities children need to grow, learn and reach their potential. Bringing registration into health facilities is an important step towards making that right a reality.
” New information, education and communication materials including posters, folders, notebooks, banners and signage were also launched. Jointly developed by PNGCIR and UNICEF with funding from the Australian Government through the Justice for Children programme managed by UNICEF, they will be distributed nationwide.
“The Australian Government is pleased to support PNGCIR and UNICEF in making birth registration more accessible,” said Minister Counsellor Elizabeth Le Bas of the Australian High Commission.
From January to August 2026, more than 80,000 children received birth registration services, with services established in seven hospitals across seven provinces. Under the programme, 300,000 additional birth certificates will be procured to help clear a backlog of more than one million.
“Every child deserves to be recognised from the very beginning,” said UNICEF Representative Dr Veera Mendonca.
